10 STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE ORAL COMMUNICATION

If there's one important element in our services, it's our ability to speak effectively.

Sometimes people say of speakers, "So-and-so is charismatic" or "So-and-so has no charisma," as if charisma were a gift given to a select few!

But deep down, what does that really mean?

To begin this reflection, I suggest a small observation exercise about the engraving above.

What do you think of the character on the right?

Classic, introverted, uptight, shy, lacking humor, ill at ease, not knowing where to hide, lacking self-confidence, self-conscious, clumsy, expert, serious, having remarkably repaired their speech?

What do you think of the character on the left?

At ease, grandiloquent, mastering their subject, visible from head to toe, speaking directly to their audience, haughty, overdoing it, insincere, egocentric, liar, smooth-talker?

Interesting, isn't it?

If you enjoy the exercise, I advise you to rush to the nearest museum or to a search engine and observe portraits, paintings, photos, sculptures and ask yourself this question: "What impression does this face, this posture, this gaze convey?"

To express oneself orally correctly, one must, of course, master the language, have self-confidence, and adapt to one's interlocutor and the context (conversation, speech...).

But in reality, our communication is the reflection of our inner state.

We are not responsible for how others perceive us, but we are responsible for the image we project of ourselves.

First and foremost, it is therefore essential to develop your "inner dialogue"

What is your state of mind when speaking in front of an audience?

• You feel judged and it paralyzes you.
• You are uncomfortable but it doesn't bother you too much.
• You feel intimidated but you put on a good front, and people don't realize it.
• You adopt a role/mask that isn't you but reassures you (you change your way of speaking, your gestures, your general attitude).
• You feel quite confident but you feel that you might still lack a bit of technique to be more effective.

Do you have any parasitic gestures (gestural or verbal tics) when speaking in public?

Do you have any gestures that betray your stress?

Do you have any gestures that suggest a barrier, a break with your audience (downcast gaze, hunched shoulders, crossed arms, hiding behind your equipment...)?

I suggest a small exercise:

1. List adjectives to qualify the image you wish to convey to the public (examples: at ease, friendly, classic, original, creative, cultured, funny, ironic, acerbic, literal, reliable, shy, cunning, independent, non-conformist, empathetic, etc.).
2. What attitudes would perfectly illustrate these adjectives? (clothing, language level, gaze, hand movements, arm movements, etc.)

Did you know that people considered charismatic are the ones who articulate the best?

One of the main reasons that prevents a person from speaking well orally is shyness. Indeed, when you lack self-confidence or are afraid to speak, you will inevitably have difficulty convincing an audience.

The best way to overcome this complex and to improve your oral expression is to practice in front of a mirror. It will then be easier for you to face your audience and to capture the attention of your interlocutor.

Exercise 1: Speak facing a wall and imagine the horizon.

Exercise 2: Speak with a pen stuck between your teeth, like a cigar.

Exercise 3: Identify your impossible-to-say phrase, don't try to say them quickly; on the contrary, emphasize the word that seems important to you and plan a pause. Speaking quickly is not a sign of ease, but of panic!

Didon dina diton. (Didon dined, they say.)

Douze douches douces. (Twelve soft showers.)

Gisèle songe à la chimie. (Gisèle dreams of chemistry.)

Je vais chez ce cher Serge. (I'm going to dear Serge's house.)

Le juge rend justice. (The judge dispenses justice.)

Son chat chante sa chanson. (His cat sings his song.)

Sache qu’on chasse chez Serge. (Know that they hunt at Serge's.)

Seize jacinthes sèchent dans seize sachets sales. (Sixteen hyacinths dry in sixteen dirty sachets.)

Je veux et j’exige d’exquises excuses. (I want and demand exquisite excuses.)

Exercise 4: Combine the two previous exercises.

Exercise 5: Adopt the right speaking pace.

To know how to improve your verbal communication, you must first learn to speak slowly. This allows the audience time to truly understand the meaning of each word, to VISUALIZE what you are saying, and, through moments of silence, to emphasize your words.

You can also change the tone of your voice. This is a technique to attract your audience's attention. Furthermore, it can be interesting to play with rhythm. Above all, don't deprive yourself of it.

Exercise 6 : Visualize what you have to say.

Before saying anything, it is essential to visualize what you have to say.

First, identify:

-difficult passages to say (long sentences, complicated words, etc.)

-moments where you can pause (annotate the text with a pencil)

-which words to emphasize

-when to look at your audience

Exercise 7: Play with silence.

What we emit arouses critical thinking; what we do reduces it (noise is reassuring, but only for the one who emits it).

This is true in life, and it's true when speaking.

Unfortunately, silence is often associated with emptiness, with boredom.

In reality, silence increases the impact of what you want to express.

For example, "Well..." followed by 3 seconds of silence, after asking a question and waiting for an answer.

TOOL: Practice staying silent (being overwhelmed by words reduces attention): isn't it said that "silence is golden"?

It is therefore also interesting to plan moments of silence in a presentation (observation, reflection, speaking in a low voice)

Exercise 8: Be persuasive.

- before starting, fill your lungs with air, stand tall and realize that you are interesting.

- energy intake (hand on the table, feet on the ground)

- on the table, 3 zones: close (listening), center (asserted proposition), far (certainty, conclusion)

- upright head position (tilted head indicates deceit)

- manage laughter and humor (starting an exchange with laughter can be interpreted as a sign of weakness, of a flaw)

- do not hesitate to use hesitation, so as not to scorn the other's ignorance and seem to challenge them.

- do not state your knowledge; this would be perceived as a desire to dominate.

- respect the spheres of bodily autonomy (distance), sound (avoid noise), intellectual (do not neglect the idea a person has of themselves, never underestimate them)

- the positive ego (the one that pushes us to train to surpass ourselves) and the negative (showing off awakens critical thinking)

Exercise 9: Model yourself after others.

If you find a good role model, start following them very carefully. It would also be important to take notes to study them later.

Listen to speakers, actors, lawyers, and professors.

Observe how they enter the stage, their gestures, their gaze, listen to their first words, not to imitate them, but to understand how they managed to highlight THEIR personality.

To conclude, these different exercises are not a recipe to follow to gain charisma but rather an invitation to know yourself better, to highlight YOUR personality.

The question is not to try to control what others think of us (that's a losing battle!) but to work on creating the most honest image of ourselves, because what all these exercises reveal is that charisma is about being REAL!

"Personality begins where comparison ends."

Karl Lagerfeld

Article by Sébastien Thill